Rinkitink in Oz Page 5

  Chapter Five

  The Three Pearls

  When King Rinkitink and Prince Inga had bathed themselves in the seaand eaten a simple breakfast, they began wondering what they could doto improve their condition.

  "The poor people of Gilgad," said Rinkitink cheerfully, "are littlelikely ever again to behold their King in the flesh, for my boat and myrowers are gone with everything else. Let us face the fact that we areimprisoned for life upon this island, and that our lives will be shortunless we can secure more to eat than is in this small sack."

  "I'll not starve, for I can eat grass," remarked the goat in a pleasanttone--or a tone as pleasant as Bilbil could assume.

  "True, quite true," said the King. Then he seemed thoughtful for amoment and turning to Inga he asked: "Do you think, Prince, that if theworst comes, we could eat Bilbil?"

  The goat gave a groan and cast a reproachful look at his master as hesaid:

  "Monster! Would you, indeed, eat your old friend and servant?"

  "Not if I can help it, Bilbil," answered the King pleasantly. "Youwould make a remarkably tough morsel, and my teeth are not as good asthey once were."

  While this talk was in progress Inga suddenly remembered the threepearls which his father had hidden under the tiled floor of the banquethall. Without doubt King Kitticut had been so suddenly surprised by theinvaders that he had found no opportunity to get the pearls, forotherwise the fierce warriors would have been defeated and driven outof Pingaree. So they must still be in their hiding place, and Ingabelieved they would prove of great assistance to him and his comradesin this hour of need. But the palace was a mass of ruins; perhaps hewould be unable now to find the place where the pearls were hidden.

  He said nothing of this to Rinkitink, remembering that his father hadcharged him to preserve the secret of the pearls and of their magicpowers. Nevertheless, the thought of securing the wonderful treasuresof his ancestors gave the boy new hope.

  He stood up and said to the King:

  "Let us return to the other end of Pingaree. It is more pleasant thanhere in spite of the desolation of my father's palace. And there, ifanywhere, we shall discover a way out of our difficulties."

  This suggestion met with Rinkitink's approval and the little party atonce started upon the return journey. As there was no occasion to delayupon the way, they reached the big end of the island about the middleof the day and at once began searching the ruins of the palace.

  They found, to their satisfaction, that one room at the bottom of atower was still habitable, although the roof was broken in and theplace was somewhat littered with stones. The King was, as he said, toofat to do any hard work, so he sat down on a block of marble andwatched Inga clear the room of its rubbish. This done, the boy huntedthrough the ruins until he discovered a stool and an armchair that hadnot been broken beyond use. Some bedding and a mattress were alsofound, so that by nightfall the little room had been made quitecomfortable.

  The following morning, while Rinkitink was still sound asleep andBilbil was busily cropping the dewy grass that edged the shore, PrinceInga began to search the tumbled heaps of marble for the place wherethe royal banquet hall had been. After climbing over the ruins for atime he reached a flat place which he recognized, by means of the tiledflooring and the broken furniture scattered about, to be the great hallhe was seeking. But in the center of the floor, directly over the spotwhere the pearls were hidden, lay several large and heavy blocks ofmarble, which had been torn from the dismantled walls.

  This unfortunate discovery for a time discouraged the boy, who realizedhow helpless he was to remove such vast obstacles; but it was soimportant to secure the pearls that he dared not give way to despairuntil every human effort had been made, so he sat him down to thinkover the matter with great care.

  Meantime Rinkitink had risen from his bed and walked out upon the lawn,where he found Bilbil reclining at ease upon the greensward.

  "Where is Inga?" asked Rinkitink, rubbing his eyes with his knucklesbecause their vision was blurred with too much sleep.

  "Don't ask me," said the goat, chewing with much satisfaction a cud ofsweet grasses.

  "Bilbil," said the King, squatting down beside the goat and resting hisfat chin upon his hands and his elbows on his knees, "allow me toconfide to you the fact that I am bored, and need amusement. My goodfriend Kitticut has been kidnapped by the barbarians and taken from me,so there is no one to converse with me intelligently. I am the King andyou are the goat. Suppose you tell me a story.

  "Suppose I don't," said Bilbil, with a scowl, for a goat's face is veryexpressive.

  "If you refuse, I shall be more unhappy than ever, and I know yourdisposition is too sweet to permit that. Tell me a story, Bilbil."

  The goat looked at him with an expression of scorn. Said he:

  "One would think you are but four years old, Rinkitink! But there--Iwill do as you command. Listen carefully, and the story may do you somegood--although I doubt if you understand the moral."

  "I am sure the story will do me good," declared the King, whose eyeswere twinkling.

  "Once on a time," began the goat.

  "When was that, Bilbil?" asked the King gently.

  "Don't interrupt; it is impolite. Once on a time there was a King witha hollow inside his head, where most people have their brains, and--"

  "Is this a true story, Bilbil?"

  "And the King with a hollow head could chatter words, which had nosense, and laugh in a brainless manner at senseless things. That partof the story is true enough, Rinkitink."

  "Then proceed with the tale, sweet Bilbil. Yet it is hard to believethat any King could be brainless--unless, indeed, he proved it byowning a talking goat."

  Bilbil glared at him a full minute in silence. Then he resumed hisstory:

  "This empty-headed man was a King by accident, having been born to thathigh station. Also the King was empty-headed by the same chance, beingborn without brains."

  "Poor fellow!" quoth the King. "Did he own a talking goat?"

  "He did," answered Bilbil.

  "Then he was wrong to have been born at all. Cheek-eek-eek-eek, oo,hoo!" chuckled Rinkitink, his fat body shaking with merriment. "Butit's hard to prevent oneself from being born; there's no chance forprotest, eh, Bilbil?"

  "Who is telling this story, I'd like to know," demanded the goat, withanger.

  "Ask someone with brains, my boy; I'm sure I can't tell," replied theKing, bursting into one of his merry fits of laughter.

  Bilbil rose to his hoofs and walked away in a dignified manner, leavingRinkitink chuckling anew at the sour expression of the animal's face.

  "Oh, Bilbil, you'll be the death of me, some day--I'm sure you will!"gasped the King, taking out his lace handkerchief to wipe his eyes;for, as he often did, he had laughed till the tears came.

  Bilbil was deeply vexed and would not even turn his head to look at hismaster. To escape from Rinkitink he wandered among the ruins of thepalace, where he came upon Prince Inga.

  "Good morning, Bilbil," said the boy. "I was just going to find you,that I might consult you upon an important matter. If you will kindlyturn back with me I am sure your good judgment will be of greatassistance."

  The angry goat was quite mollified by the respectful tone in which hewas addressed, but he immediately asked:

  "Are you also going to consult that empty-headed King over yonder?"

  "I am sorry to hear you speak of your kind master in such a way," saidthe boy gravely. "All men are deserving of respect, being the highestof living creatures, and Kings deserve respect more than others, forthey are set to rule over many people."

  "Nevertheless," said Bilbil with conviction, "Rinkitink's head iscertainly empty of brains."

  "That I am unwilling to believe," insisted Inga. "But anyway his heartis kind and gentle and that is better than being wise. He is merry inspite of misfortunes that would cause others to weep and he neverspeaks harsh words that wound the feelings of his friends."

  "Stil
l," growled Bilbil, "he is--"

  "Let us forget everything but his good nature, which puts new heartinto us when we are sad," advised the boy.

  "But he is--"

  "Come with me, please," interrupted Inga, "for the matter of which Iwish to speak is very important."

  Bilbil followed him, although the boy still heard the goat mutteringthat the King had no brains. Rinkitink, seeing them turn into theruins, also followed, and upon joining them asked for his breakfast.

  Inga opened the sack of food and while he and the King ate of it theboy said:

  "If I could find a way to remove some of the blocks of marble whichhave fallen in the banquet hall, I think I could find means for us toescape from this barren island."

  "Then," mumbled Rinkitink, with his mouth full, "let us move the blocksof marble."

  "But how?" inquired Prince Inga. "They are very heavy."

  "Ah, how, indeed?" returned the King, smacking his lips contentedly."That is a serious question. But--I have it! Let us see what my famousparchment says about it." He wiped his fingers upon a napkin and then,taking the scroll from a pocket inside his embroidered blouse, heunrolled it and read the following words: 'Never step on another man'stoes.'

  The goat gave a snort of contempt; Inga was silent; the King lookedfrom one to the other inquiringly.

  "That's the idea, exactly!" declared Rinkitink.

  "To be sure," said Bilbil scornfully, "it tells us exactly how to movethe blocks of marble."

  "Oh, does it?" responded the King, and then for a moment he rubbed thetop of his bald head in a perplexed manner. The next moment he burstinto a peal of joyous laughter. The goat looked at Inga and sighed.

  "What did I tell you?" asked the creature. "Was I right, or was Iwrong?"

  "This scroll," said Rinkitink, "is indeed a masterpiece. Its advice isof tremendous value. 'Never step on another man's toes.' Let us thinkthis over. The inference is that we should step upon our own toes,which were given us for that purpose. Therefore, if I stepped uponanother man's toes, I would be the other man. Hoo, hoo, hoo!--the otherman--hee, hee, heek-keek-eek! Funny, isn't it?"

  "Didn't I say--" began Bilbil.

  "No matter what you said, my boy," roared the King. "No fool could havefigured that out as nicely as I did."

  "We have still to decide how to remove the blocks of marble," suggestedInga anxiously.

  "Fasten a rope to them, and pull," said Bilbil."Don't pay any more attention to Rinkitink, for he is no wiser than theman who wrote that brainless scroll. Just get the rope, and we'llfasten Rinkitink to one end of it for a weight and I'll help you pull."

  "Thank you, Bilbil," replied the boy. "I'll get the rope at once."

  Bilbil found it difficult to climb over the ruins to the floor of thebanquet hall, but there are few places a goat cannot get to when itmakes the attempt, so Bilbil succeeded at last, and even fat littleRinkitink finally joined them, though much out of breath.

  Inga fastened one end of the rope around a block of marble and thenmade a loop at the other end to go over Bilbil's head. When all wasready the boy seized the rope and helped the goat to pull; yet, strainas they might, the huge block would not stir from its place. Seeingthis, King Rinkitink came forward and lent his assistance, the weightof his body forcing the heavy marble to slide several feet from whereit had lain.

  But it was hard work and all were obliged to take a long rest beforeundertaking the removal of the next block.

  "Admit, Bilbil," said the King, "that I am of some use in the world."

  "Your weight was of considerable help," acknowledged the goat, "but ifyour head were as well filled as your stomach the task would be stilleasier."

  When Inga went to fasten the rope a second time he was rejoiced todiscover that by moving one more block of marble he could uncover thetile with the secret spring. So the three pulled with renewed energyand to their joy the block moved and rolled upon its side, leaving Ingafree to remove the treasure when he pleased.

  But the boy had no intention of allowing Bilbil and the King to sharethe secret of the royal treasures of Pingaree; so, although both thegoat and its master demanded to know why the marble blocks had beenmoved, and how it would benefit them, Inga begged them to wait untilthe next morning, when he hoped to be able to satisfy them that theirhard work had not been in vain.

  Having little confidence in this promise of a mere boy, the goatgrumbled and the King laughed; but Inga paid no heed to their ridiculeand set himself to work rigging up a fishing rod, with line and hook.During the afternoon he waded out to some rocks near the shore andfished patiently until he had captured enough yellow perch for theirsupper and breakfast.

  "Ah," said Rinkitink, looking at the fine catch when Inga returned tothe shore; "these will taste delicious when they are cooked; but do youknow how to cook them?"

  "No," was the reply. "I have often caught fish, but never cooked them.Perhaps Your Majesty understands cooking."

  "Cooking and majesty are two different things," laughed the littleKing. "I could not cook a fish to save me from starvation."

  "For my part," said Bilbil, "I never eat fish, but I can tell you howto cook them, for I have often watched the palace cooks at their work."And so, with the goat's assistance, the boy and the King managed toprepare the fish and cook them, after which they were eaten with goodappetite.

  That night, after Rinkitink and Bilbil were both fast asleep, Ingastole quietly through the moonlight to the desolate banquet hall.There, kneeling down, he touched the secret spring as his father hadinstructed him to do and to his joy the tile sank downward anddisclosed the opening. You may imagine how the boy's heart throbbedwith excitement as he slowly thrust his hand into the cavity and feltaround to see if the precious pearls were still there. In a moment hisfingers touched the silken bag and, without pausing to close therecess, he pressed the treasure against his breast and ran out into themoonlight to examine it. When he reached a bright place he started toopen the bag, but he observed Bilbil lying asleep upon the grass nearby. So, trembling with the fear of discovery, he ran to another place,and when he paused he heard Rinkitink snoring lustily. Again he fledand made his way to the seashore, where he squatted under a bank andbegan to untie the cords that fastened the mouth of the bag. But nowanother fear assailed him.

  "If the pearls should slip from my hand," he thought, "and roll intothe water, they might be lost to me forever. I must find some saferplace."

  Here and there he wandered, still clasping the silken bag in bothhands, and finally he went to the grove and climbed into the tall treewhere he had made his platform and seat. But here it was pitch dark, sohe found he must wait patiently until morning before he dared touch thepearls. During those hours of waiting he had time for reflection andreproached himself for being so frightened by the possession of hisfather's treasures.

  "These pearls have belonged to our family for generations," he mused,"yet no one has ever lost them. If I use ordinary care I am sure I needhave no fears for their safety."

  When the dawn came and he could see plainly, Inga opened the bag andtook out the Blue Pearl. There was no possibility of his being observedby others, so he took time to examine it wonderingly, saying tohimself: "This will give me strength."

  Taking off his right shoe he placed the Blue Pearl within it, far up inthe pointed toe. Then he tore a piece from his handkerchief and stuffedit into the shoe to hold the pearl in place. Inga's shoes were long andpointed, as were all the shoes worn in Pingaree, and the points curledupward, so that there was quite a vacant space beyond the place wherethe boy's toes reached when the shoe was upon his foot.

  After he had put on the Shoe and laced it up he opened the bag and tookout the Pink Pearl. "This will protect me from danger," said Inga, andremoving the shoe from his left foot he carefully placed the pearl inthe hollow toe. This, also, he secured in place by means of a striptorn from his handkerchief.

  Having put on the second shoe and laced it up, the boy drew from thesilken bag the third
pearl--that which was pure white--and holding itto his ear he asked.

  "Will you advise me what to do, in this my hour of misfortune?"

  Clearly the small voice of the pearl made answer:

  "I advise you to go to the Islands of Regos and Coregos, where you mayliberate your parents from slavery."

  "How could I do that?" exclaimed Prince Inga, amazed at receiving suchadvice.

  "To-night," spoke the voice of the pearl, "there will be a storm, andin the morning a boat will strand upon the shore. Take this boat androw to Regos and Coregos."

  "How can I, a weak boy, pull the boat so far?" he inquired, doubtingthe possibility.

  "The Blue Pearl will give you strength," was the reply.

  "But I may be shipwrecked and drowned, before ever I reach Regos andCoregos," protested the boy.

  "The Pink Pearl will protect you from harm," murmured the voice, softand low but very distinct.

  "Then I shall act as you advise me," declared Inga, speaking firmlybecause this promise gave him courage, and as he removed the pearl fromhis ear it whispered:

  "The wise and fearless are sure to win success."

  Restoring the White Pearl to the depths of the silken bag, Ingafastened it securely around his neck and buttoned his waist above it tohide the treasure from all prying eyes. Then he slowly climbed downfrom the tree and returned to the room where King Rinkitink still slept.

  The goat was browsing upon the grass but looked cross and surly. Whenthe boy said good morning as he passed, Bilbil made no responsewhatever. As Inga entered the room the King awoke and asked:

  "What is that mysterious secret of yours? I've been dreaming about it,and I haven't got my breath yet from tugging at those heavy blocks.Tell me the secret."

  "A secret told is no longer a secret," replied Inga, with a laugh."Besides, this is a family secret, which it is proper I should keep tomyself. But I may tell you one thing, at least: We are going to leavethis island to-morrow morning."

  The King seemed puzzled' by this statement.

  "I'm not much of a swimmer," said he, "and, though I'm fat enough tofloat upon the surface of the water, I'd only bob around and getnowhere at all."

  "We shall not swim, but ride comfortably in a boat," promised Inga.

  "There isn't a boat on this island!" declared Rinkitink, looking uponthe boy with wonder.

  "True," said Inga. "But one will come to us in the morning." He spokepositively, for he had perfect faith in the promise of the White Pearl;but Rinkitink, knowing nothing of the three marvelous jewels, began tofear that the little Prince had lost his mind through grief andmisfortune.

  For this reason the King did not question the boy further but tried tocheer him by telling him witty stories. He laughed at all the storieshimself, in his merry, rollicking way, and Inga joined freely in thelaughter because his heart had been lightened by the prospect ofrescuing his dear parents. Not since the fierce warriors had descendedupon Pingaree had the boy been so hopeful and happy.

  With Rinkitink riding upon Bilbil's back, the three made a tour of theisland and found in the central part some bushes and trees bearing ripefruit. They gathered this freely, for--aside from the fish which Ingacaught--it was the only food they now had, and the less they had, thebigger Rinkitink's appetite seemed to grow.

  "I am never more happy," said he with a sigh, "than when I am eating."

  Toward evening the sky became overcast and soon a great storm began torage. Prince Inga and King Rinkitink took refuge within the shelter ofthe room they had fitted up and there Bilbil joined them. The goat andthe King were somewhat disturbed by the violence of the storm, but Ingadid not mind it, being pleased at this evidence that the White Pearlmight be relied upon.

  All night the wind shrieked around the island; thunder rolled,lightning flashed and rain came down in torrents. But with morning thestorm abated and when the sun arose no sign of the tempest remainedsave a few fallen trees.